Olubukola Ayodele, Breast Cancer Lead at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“I’m proud and honoured to share that I have been awarded a grant from Breast Cancer Now to lead a new research project aiming to personalise drug doses for people with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer. The project is titled INTENSITY with the aim of making treatments kinder for people with secondary breast cancer.
As a medical oncologist and researcher, I’ve seen firsthand how standard treatment regimens, though often life-extending, can carry a heavy burden of side effects. These toxicities don’t always impact patients equally. Factors such as genetics, body composition, and, importantly, ethnicity, can influence how a person tolerates treatment.
Our goal is to better understand the lived experiences of people with secondary breast cancer across different backgrounds. Through a national survey and focus groups, we will explore: how patients understand dose optimisation; whether they feel their treatments are personalised; what side effects or barriers they’ve faced; and whether there are differences across ethnic or demographic groups.
On that basis, we hope to develop practical recommendations for tailoring drug doses, optimising efficacy while minimising harmful side effects. In doing so, we aim to help make treatment kinder, more inclusive, and ultimately, more humane.
This grant represents more than just funding; it is a vote of confidence in the belief that, in secondary breast cancer care, ‘one size fits all’ is no longer acceptable. It is a step towards equitable care and a better quality of life for all patients living with advanced disease.
A warm thank you to Breast Cancer Now for supporting this vision. I look forward to collaborating with patients, clinicians, and the wider research community to deliver findings that can change practice.
If you are affected by secondary breast cancer, this is an opportunity to make sure you lend your voice and be involved in shaping this research to ensure that treatment is tailored to suit your needs.
Together, we can help make treatments kinder.
This is a PhD studentship, and if you are interested, please apply when the role is advertised shortly.
I’m grateful to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust for hosting this grant and University of Leicester for supporting this PhD studentship.”
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